The director of the humor magazine Palante, Mercedes Azcano Torres, passed away this Tuesday in Havana at the age of 58, with no cause of death specified.
The official press and close friends expressed their sorrow over the loss and described Azcano Torres as a "busy and vibrant" person.
"Now it is hard to believe the news of his passing on October 20. It seems impossible. Another heavy blow for our community, which cannot recover from one loss before it begins to mourn another," wrote UPEC on its digital platform.
Mercedes Azcano Torres (1963-2021) served as the director of Palante, the official graphic humor publication, for the last 11 years. It celebrated its 60th anniversary last week.
He began his career in journalism in 1986 and was responsible for the Graphic Humor Circle of the Union of Journalists of Cuba. He contributed to the humorous segments Dedeté, Punto.cu, and Mujeres.
"I can describe myself as a chubby, ironic, and sarcastic person. I love animals, nature, and art. I really enjoy reading. I'm a fan of chocolate and black and white movies," she wrote as an introduction on her blog Humor de camino.
The cartoonist Jorge A. Pinero "Jape" was one of the first to mourn the death of the Cuban journalist, expressing his sorrow on social media.
"With great sorrow, we say goodbye to Mercedes Azcano, our friend from a thousand battles for Cuban humor, and currently the director of Palante," he wrote.
Jorge Sánchez Armas described the pain he felt upon learning the news just after receiving an award in a graphic humor contest.
"I'm still recovering from the shock. I can only wish for them to rest in peace. Cuban graphic humor is in mourning," they stated.
Another user who reacted to the news was Francisnet Díaz Rondón, who recalls seeing her just a few days ago during the celebrations for the 60th anniversary of Palante.
"He was a master of humorous writing, one of the finest literary talents in Cuba, even if he didn't receive the same level of recognition as other prominent colleagues. But he was truly exceptional, with an excellent sense of humor," he recalled.
In 2021, at least two more Cuban cartoonists associated with Palante passed away. In April, Francisco Pascasio Blanco Ávila, the founder of the publication, and in September, Mirian Alonso, at the ages of 90 and 73, respectively.
"Blanquito" was the creator of the comic strip "Ay, vecino," which was an experiment aiming to generate humorous situations confined to a single setting and two main characters.
Alonso was the creator of the beloved character Talla from the comic strip Los Pelusos, which she began drawing in the 1980s as a tribute to her father.
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